


Beyond the Bridge

by forthelulz



Category: Pacific Rim
Genre: F/M, Friendship, Getting Together, Hurt/Comfort, Mild sexual situations, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-07-15
Updated: 2013-07-16
Packaged: 2017-12-20 06:41:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,269
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/884151
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/forthelulz/pseuds/forthelulz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Life goes on even after everything has ended. The bridge is gone, the Kaiju are no more, and the Jaegar are no longer needed. In a world where they are no longer needed, Raleigh Becket and Mako Mori will try rebuild what is left in their lives. (Releigh x Mako mostly) Drabbles/Snippets of different scenes after the last battle.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Dreams

**Dreams ******

Mako still could remember everything as if it was just yesterday. The warm smile curving her mother's lips; a flash of light coming from the small micro SD camera her father had just used. Everything was special, perfect and serene. Her heart felt full as if about to burst with glee. Her small fingers felt the soft texture of her new blue pea coat. She loved it most of all. The fact that it matched her blue green plaid dress made it even sweeter. The colour reminded her of summer days, of clear ocean waters, of days when everything was normal and safe. It was a gift from her father. Today she was to celebrate her ninth year of coming of age.

"Tanjoubi Omedetou Mako-chan" She heard her mother say "Are you excited to visit the park today?"

"Hai, Okaa-san!"

She was giddy. Excitement made her want to jump up and down on her favourite pair of red double strapped mary jane shoes. They said it was safe now to venture out of the underground vaults. They said the Kaiju weren't a threat anymore. After not seeing the sun for six months she would be able to bask in its light again. To be able to see the clear blue skies would be enough to make her happy. Her father took her hand, her fingers tiny against his roughened ones. His grip volleyed her forward. Her mother followed two steps behind. The dimly lit underground hallways always felt ominous but with her parent's love surrounding her it didn't matter. Two flights of stairs would lead them out into Tokyo once again, the upstairs city that her country men had deserted. Those who had survived the Kaiju attack five earlier opted to live underground. Too terrified and traumatized to live in the light of day once again.

They built another metropolis underneath the old. The cold winds of winter blew against her cheeks and white mist puffed out of her every breath as soon as. She blinked once, twice, trying to re-acquaint herself to the brightness of the outside world. It didn't matter that the trees and flora were dead in this harsh chilled climate, that once busy streets and the buildings were now empty and decimated. The outside world embraced her like she was at home again. If she closed her eyes she could just imagine the thrum of life that used to pervade every inch of modern Tokyo.

That was enough.

Her father led them towards children's play park just two blocks away from their abandoned home. It was empty as expected. The slide had rusted completely, the presence of the nearby sea had probably hastened its decay, but the wooden seat swing set functioned still. She ran with a bright laugh. Her little hands slipping from her parent's grasps as her red shoes crushed the gravel underneath her feet. The rusted chains felt gritty against her skin but she didn't care. Her mother smiled sweetly as she pushed the swing until Mako felt she was flying into the air. Her giggles were boisterous, her smiles wide. The happiness that she felt in her heart could compare to no other.

It was then they heard it, felt it. The tremor felt like an earthquake, such heavy pounding that shook the very ground that her parents stood on. The trees swayed as crows flew away in a panic. Then an unearthly screech resounded. Her father's face turned ashen, his gaze awestruck as he noticed what loomed in the horizon.

"Get Mako out of here" She heard her father say.

Her mother grabbed her arm, her grip tight to the point of almost painful. She slipped from the swing hugged her mother's legs and raised her head. It was now that she could see the creature's head and torso towering above the rundown buildings. It might be located a mile or two away but that was still too close. Too close. The wonder of seeing a Kaiju upclose was overcome by the pure nerve wrecking terror that raced through her veins. Mako's mother leaned over, hoisting her small body against her warmth. Then mother and daughter began to rush away from the scene.

It was a few feet away when Mako realized that something was wrong. Turning back, her mother's shout was loud, panicked.

"Anata! What are you doing!"

"Aishieteru" The words were simple. The smile on the father's face was bittersweet. "Do what I say. Run. Run as fast as you can away from me"

"No, you can't! Don't do this. Don't..."

"Otou-san!"

"I'm sorry" He raised the camera."I'm so very, very sorry"

It clicked. It flashed. The bright light caught the Kaiju's attention. With a swing of its huge tail it roared, turning its reptilian like body towards the source. With her head resting against her mother's shoulder, Mako could still see everything. And she knew the moment that the Kaiju's head lowered to the ground that her father's fate was set.

The sound of crunching bones made Mako realize that he was probably dead.

With its prey gone, the Kaiju's massive head swivelled towards them; their fast movement attracting its attention once more. Once again, they were its prey. Its colossal lizard like feet clobbered against the pavement leaving deep indentions against the asphalt, its bellow more menacing than before. Her mother dashed them through alleys too thin to let the monster through but it didn't matter in the end. Concrete buildings held no chance against a mega ton Kaiju that was determinded to hunt them down. Debris flew everywhere. The screeches sounded closer and closer. 

If only they could only reach the entrance to underground Tokyo... 

If only she didn't request to see the sun once more on her day of birth... 

If only... 

They reached the main road where the empty abandoned cars lay. Her mother looked back towards the Kaiju still wrecking building several feet away. Her mother's lips pursed. Mako felt herself being held tighter than before. Then her mother let her go, letting her down on the pavement. For a moment they stared into each other's eyes. 

"Mako, my sweet beloved Mako. Will you forgive your Okaa-san one day?" 

"Okaa-san why are you..." 

Her mother steered her into a dark alley. 

"You have to hide Mako. You have to keep quiet. Don't come out until it's safe. Please, please be safe." 

With a trembling kiss to Mako's forehead, her mother let her go. Then she ran out into the bright sunlight and screamed at the monster with all her might. 

"Here I am you monster! Come and get me!" 

And Mako kept quiet as ordered as she saw her mother's form disappear from her view. She curled up behind a vendo machine, not making a sound even when a painful cry resonated somewhere out in the open streets. As the Kaiju's booming shrieks filled the air, tears rolled down her cheeks

She was now on her own. 

___________________________________________________________

"Hey, it’s okay. It's just me"

Mako could feel warm male hands smoothing against her naked torso. Her mouth was dry. Her hands clenched into a tight fist. She could hear the murmur of reassuring words against her ear. Her skin was filmed with a thin sheen of sweat. The sticky cotton sheets clung against her legs and hip. With her heart still pounding against her chest, she knew what had just happened. 

Another dream, another nightmare. 

When will it ever end? 

"I'm fine" She bit out when Raleigh tried to massage her shoulder. It felt good, the pressure relieved the knots in her muscles but she hated his habit of trying to make her feel alright when it would never be. 

The young ex-Jaegar pilot sighed at his partner's prickly tone. "I'm just trying to help" 

"I know you are. I'm sorry" She turned towards his warmth, relishing the feel of his muscles again her lither form. It is in his arms that she finds solace. Even his scent could sooth away the night terrors she struggled to keep at bay. 

"What was it about this time?" Raleigh's voice was teasing but it held a deeper sense of seriousness beneath it. This question was familiar. Often popped out the moment either one of them experienced the nightmares that haunted two of them nightly. 

"It was about my family. The day when everything ended" Mako's voice quaked, her body shivered as she remembered "The events that happened before help came. Before my sensei saved me"

The silence that followed was heavy. Raleigh pressed his lips against her raven locks. His eyes shut close as his grief about his own family tried to rear its ugly head. But he pushed his brother's memories away and kept it in the recesses of his mind. Not now. Not when Mako needs his comfort. He isn't the only one suffering from reliving moments that he would rather forget. So many families had been torn apart by the monsters that come out of nowhere. Mako lost her parents. Raleigh lost his brother. There were millions upon millions of human casualties that would never be forgotten. It was only now that they could take a breather. It was only now that they actually felt safe. The bridge has collapsed but in exchange for the peace that they were experiencing they had lost comrades, and Mako had lost the father figure she had known since the day she was saved. The psychiatrists called it Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Raleigh calls it 'seeing-too-many-shitty-deaths-that-he-couldn't-do-anything-about'. 

Yet his dreams weren't just memories. Sometimes it is about being stuck in a Jaeger with no power with a hundred Kaiju's encircled around it. Sometimes it's about losing Mako just like the way he lost his brother Yancy with no way of stopping it. Sometimes it's the 'ifs' that haunts him more than what 'were'. He wonders if Mako also has those dreams too and a part of him knows she does. And he wishes that he could move on... maybe one day in the future when the safety that they are experiencing is permanent rather than a temporary phase. 

He's still paranoid, on edge and still unwilling to accept that everything's over. Because being complacent had once been a mistake. 

Better be aware than sorry in the end. 

"I'm glad you're here with me" Mako said as she snuggled against Raleigh's neck. "It makes everything easier"

"Well, I'm glad you even gave me a chance" He teased her "I remember asking you out for coffee for more times than I can count. You always answered no until that magical day when you suddenly changed your mind"

"It's not my fault that you had bad timing Mr. Becket" Mako rolled her eyes. One hand smacked against his well defined abs. "I was still grieving the loss of my sensei. What did you expect? I wasn't in the mood to play footsie with you or even pretend that everything is okay"

Raleigh could only laugh "Alright, I admit it. A month after the commemoration was definitely not a good time to start a relationship. But I wasn't willing to let Newton ask you out before I did"

"And what made you think that I would say yes to that Kaiju groupie?" The hand that had smacked him was now exploring every muscle in his abdomen. The movement continued lower and it made his breath hitch, his smile widened. This was the best part of waking up from a nightmare. It seems that his Mako was in sync with his thoughts even outside the drift. 

"So you're not interested in that Kaiju groupie" His heart pounded faster as her nimble fingers skimmed the golden curls that at the base of his cock. 

"Nope" Mako said, ending with a pop on the 'p'. And as she gripped and touched his flesh and made him groan with pleasure, Raleigh could only thank his lucky stars that he and Mako had survived what could have been the end of the world.


	2. What Matters Most

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Life doesn't end when the monsters are killed.

**What Matters Most**

She could barely hear the noise of boats and helicopters hovering in the horizon. The escape pod tilted slightly with every movement of the ocean waves. Mako didn’t know where they were but it didn’t matter. To tell the truth, she didn’t care. She clung against Raleigh Becket’s armoured body, not willing to let go. For a moment she thought she had lost him. For a moment she thought everything that she held dear had crumbled like everything else. It was when he coughed and complained that she was hugging him too tightly that a spark returned to her. Their foreheads touched. Her emotions swirled. The gesture was simple, reassuring. She closed her eyes and released a relieved breath.

They were alive. They had survived.

It was over. 

It was only when she felt foreign hands grabbing her from behind that she was separated from her partner. Raleigh had fainted by that time, a dead weight against her lighter form. His body neither resisted when two men aided him into a stretcher. Another swathed her into a thick blanket. Then she was lifted like a small child, unable to fight back as the toll of exhaustion rushed into her. The adrenalin that pumped through her veins throughout the battles had already waned. 

A boat was waiting for them. A standard military speed boat that could travel miles in a few minutes time. In it an assembly of people waited. Excitement and apprehension both haunted their eyes. Propped up against a chair, she could feel fingers lifting her chin up, prying her eyelids open. A small flashlight blinded her sight. She could barely understand the conversations of the rescuers huddled around her. Staring on unresponsive, she felt the coldness of a stethoscope against her chest. 

“Miss Mori can you hear me?” 

Her head lolled as she blinked. She wanted to reply, to say anything but her mouth felt parched. 

“Vital signs are steady” She heard someone say “A little bit concussed but she’ll be able to be on good shape after a bit of rest.” 

“And Becket?” 

“Suffering from shock. Lack of oxygen forced his body to shut down in order to preserve itself. But don’t worry, his pulse is strong. Take Miss Mori to a bed so she can rest.” 

As she was lifted up and gingerly set down on a comfortable cot, Mako could only wonder if their mission was a success. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

She woke up with a gasp, the light of the room blinding her sight temporarily. Muscles throbbed as her whole body ached from head to toe. Sitting up, her vision swam with the sudden change in position. Piloting a Jaeger wasn’t a walk in a park it seemed. She already researched about the physical stress that being in the drift can affect a person but she didn’t anticipate that it would be this taxing on her system.

“Don’t move too much, mate” she heard someone say. The thick Australian accent gave her a clue as to who it was. “The doctors specifically told me to inform you to just take it easy”

“Where am I?” Mako’s voice was raspy as she leaned back against soft pillows. Herc offered her a glass of warm water with a straw. With a small sip, her parched mouth felt better. 

“Shatterdome Medical Unit. The rescue team brought you two back two days ago”

Hercules Hansen sat beside her bed, a grim smile upon his lips. His faithful canine companion yapped in attention at his feet. With his unharmed hand, Herc rubbed his dog’s head before he reverted his attention back to her.

“What happened? I can’t remember much.” All that she could recall was one last attempt to enter the bridge “Were we able to... Did we...” 

“The bridge was closed” Herc affirmed “No other Kaiju had appeared ever since” 

Mako released a sigh of relief.

A heady pause rose between them. She knew Herc wasn’t there to simply see how she was. There was no joy or laughter in his eyes. The easy-going Australian clenched his fists and pursed his lips, clueing her in to what he really wanted ask. There was something unsaid that should be unfolded. And Mako knew she should be the one to break the ice.

“Your son is a hero” she told him “If it weren’t for his and my sensei’s sacrifice the mission would have unravelled. We would have all died.”

Her voice trembled as she spoke the Japanese word for teacher. Her heart constricted in pain. Stacker Pentecost was gone forever. A formidable man that she once thought to be invincible was buried a thousand feet under the sea. She wanted to grieve but not here, not now. For how could she be a comfort when she herself felt the same anguish? The unbearable sorrow of losing a loved one pierced her very soul. 

“Perhaps he is but it doesn’t feel like that for me” The injured blond man gritted his teeth “I just lost a son, my boy.” He spat “I don’t care for heroism and all that shit. It leaves a bad taste in my mouth. People think that we pilot Jaegers to be a goddamned saviour of mankind. I’d rather have my son back with me” 

Mako could only agree.

“I wanted to know what happened down there. I could only see signals from the control room. I could only hear Chuck’s voice when he said goodbye. I want to know how he and Stacker died and if it was worth it. If it really was a sacrifice and not just a slaughter, that there really was no other way” 

She told him their story, the selfless sacrifice that made everything possible. As she closed her eyes she remembered the fear of being surrounded by a horde of level 4 Kaijus, the terror that enveloped the two Jaeger teams when the 5th level behemoth arrived through the bridge. It almost destroyed Gipsy Danger, to the point that one arm was wrecked and a leg was almost torn off. She told Herc how she almost lost hope until Stacker Pentecost and Chuck Hansen chose to give up their lives. To forfeit Striker Eureka so that Gipsy Danger can get through the bridge wasn’t an easy decision. 

But they did what they had to do for the good of all. 

Herc Hansen’s eyes misted. Facing away, he wiped the few drops that trickled down his cheek with his good hand. He never spoke. He merely sat in the hush of the aftermath and wept. And for a moment Mako could only bow her head, her hair covering her face, as her own tears flowed freely.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The enthusiasm of the crowd outside her door was deafening, overwhelming. The moment she stepped out of her hospital room she was met with congratulatory applause. She was still wearing a hospital gown and could barely smile when she felt the pats against her back. The whistles and cheers were unwanted and yet these people couldn’t stop themselves from expressing their thanks.

How could they celebrate when Raleigh was still indisposed in a medical room somewhere? How could they treat her like a hero when the two real heroes who had sacrificed their lives were laid several thousand feet in the dark unreachable parts of the ocean? 

It wasn’t right. This wasn’t a time for merriment. She just wanted to escape this place, to be with the one person who could understand her anguish. Each step she took was a struggle but she pursued on. The moment she saw a doctor she grabbed his arm and demanded her rights. 

“I want to see Mr. Becket. Now.” 

The doctor merely shook his head “I’m sorry but I don’t know where he is”

The thought that she had lost her partner was enough to make her old fears of being left behind go haywire. Mako pushed the man away, frustrated. But she knew Raleigh Becket was alive, laying somewhere within this vast hospital. She needed to be with him, to see him. Knowing that he was safe wasn’t enough. 

“He’s resting”

A british toned voice called out. Herman Gottlieb dragged his cane forward and fumbled with every step he took. The crowd parted, letting him through.

“Please” she pleaded “I want to see him”

With a tilt of his head, Hermann hobbled forward. 

“Don’t follow us!” He barked at the ever growing crowd. Hermann led Mako forward moving through hallways until the crowd disappeared from behind. They pushed through several doors and walked through another hallway until they reached a locked door.

“The lack of oxygen had taken its toll on his body but he’ll survive.” The scientist informed her as he fished a pair of keys, inserted it in the lock and turned the knob. 

“Lack of oxygen?” She asked, alarmed. 

“Didn’t they tell you?” Hermann inquired “Raleigh Becket gave up his oxygen supply and gave it to you so you can safely flee in an escape pod”

The news jolted her. Mako could only stare agape as the scientist relayed what happened.

“They call it Circulatory Shock, Miss Mori. Mr. Becket might be a robust healthy man but without good clean oxygen his blood pressure had plummeted drastically. It’s a good thing you two were rescued immediately because if an hour or two had passed his organs would have begun to shut down. We’ve been tracking his vital signs ever since he arrived two days ago. They’re normal, thankfully, but he hasn’t woken up yet”

The door swung open and they entered into its quarters. It was disarming to see a once fit young man like Raleigh Becket to be indisposed as he was now. His eyes were closed. Medical tubes were fitted up his nose to aid his breathing. A saline drip connected to the vein in his right arm provided the nutrients his body needs. 

She stepped towards his side. One hand smoothed the blond curls upon his head. Her breath hitched as she saw his chest heave up and down with each mouthful of air. The action was simple yet comforting. It was a clear sign of life. 

‘He will be alright’ she thought as one finger traced the curve of his cheek.

With Herc Hansen she had cried with grief. This time she will shed tears of joy.

“I’ll leave you two to get to know each other and umm... you know” she heard Hermann awkwardly declare. The sounds of shuffling feet, a cane tapping against the floor and of a door shutting close told her she was alone once more.

The silence was comforting. She pulled a metal chair and sat by Raleigh’s side, wanting to stay there until he woke up just like how Herc Hansen had watched over her hours ago.

“Hey, I wondered when you will finally visit me”

She heard the almost inaudible words the moment she leaned against her seat. Mako shot up and rushed towards his bedside. She almost didn’t realize that he was awake until his lips tipped up into grin. Raleigh’s blue eyes danced in merriment.

“You!” She slapped his arm once then twice “I thought you were asleep!” 

Raleigh winced in mock hurt and laughed. But his merry laughter tapered to a close when he flinched. His muscles twitched in agonizing pain. His whole body felt as if it was run over by a truck or a Jaeger to be more specific. Mako realized that Hermann wasn’t lying when he said that his body had suffered so much. 

“Why...” She trembled as her hands clenched into fists. “Why did you sacrifice your oxygen supply for me?” 

Raleigh’s answer was simple “If I didn’t do it you wouldn’t have survived” 

“You didn’t have to suffer for me!” 

Her cry made Raleigh cower in guilt. But he made his choice. The moment he saw that Mako’s oxygen levels had dropped he didn’t think twice. He had to do it even if it meant sacrificing his own life. 

“Mako, please listen to me” His voice was raspy, still raw “Giving you my supply was something I did because I wanted to. I wasn’t trying to act like a hero.” 

“You could have died!”

“I’ve lost my partner once. I’d rather die than lose you!”

His declaration was full of pain and anguish. Mako could only berate herself. How could she forget that he lost his brother while they were still connected in the drift, that his life was never the same after that unfortunate event? She knew that Raleigh wouldn’t be able to forgive himself if she lost her life.

“It was worth it, you know, to know that I did the right thing. I couldn’t save my brother but I could save you”

She took his rough hand and lifted it to cup her cheek. Tears trickled down her eyes as Raleigh closed his eyes in grief. The weight of everything that had happened pushed down on their shoulders. They had lost a lot of lives that couldn’t be taken back. Her parents, Yancy Becket, Sasha Kaidonovsky, Aleksis Kaidonovsky, the Wei Triplets, Chuck Hansen, Stacker Pentecost, and the million of unnamed souls that the Kaiju had erased. 

Nothing will be the same. Their lives were now mere memories.

And as Mako Mori left a soft kiss on Raleigh Becket’s palm to convey her deep gratitude, she thanked the gods above for sparing their lives. Her sensei might have died buts she wasn’t alone. 

She wasn’t alone. And it was all that mattered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I loved how to movie ended with Mako and Raleigh just hugging, touching their foreheads together and being cute but I also wondered how the story would have continued if we had more screen time. Ending a battle doesn’t mean that everything would be fine and dandy. I inserted Hermann in the story because he’s just too adorable and I just loved the actor even when he was an asshole scientist in the now defunct British TV series Torchwood.
> 
> I’m not a doctor or a medic so I just googled about lack of oxygen shock. I couldn’t believe that Becket would be alright after he sacrificed his supply of air for Mako. Apparently Circulatory Shock is life threatening. It seems that the body cannot survive without oxygen for a long period of time.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this drabble. I would also like to thank those who had reviewed chapter 1. I was really surprised by your reviews! It inspired me to make this next one. I know it’s out of chronological order but I just like writing it this way. Now click that review button and share your thoughts.

**Author's Note:**

> I just came home from watching Pacific Rim the writer's block that I've been struggling with for a long, long time had been kicked out the window. The film was AWESOME. If you haven't seen it yet then you should go to your nearest theatre and watch it. It's definitely worth the money. And it's about giant robots vs. giant monsters. GIANT ROBOTS FIGHTING GIANT MONSTERS! What's more awesome than that!
> 
> This will be a series of drabbles and snippets. I already have a lot of ideas to write. After that I'll focus my energy on finishing my other stories.


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